The purpose of this forum is to educate citizens about United States' energy policy, regulation, economics, and infrastructure so that they are better equipped to understand and evaluate proposed energy and environmental policies and legislation.  Specifically, the forum will address emerging Virginia energy / environmental issues including the need for additional generation capacity, offshore wind projects, SMART metering, and similar topics. 

The forum will be divided into three segments.

• Overview: Energy Sources, Infrastructure, Demand, and Supply
• Generation: Regulation, Economics, and Environmental Impact
• Virginia Specific Issues: Uranium Mining, Wind Farms, Smart Metering

Each segment will be preceded by a topical overview,  followed by a question and answer period.

Panelists include:

Dr. Randy Randol is a former nuclear engineer and  ExxonMobil environmental advisor in Washington, DC .  He holds a M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering.  He advised the Bush administration on climate change matters.

Mr. Ken Haapala is the Executive Vice President of the Science and Environmental Policy Project (SEPP). He holds an M.S. in Economics and is a quantitative economist who has created numerous mathematical models that simulate complex, econometric phenomenon. In the 1970s, he accurately reported that government energy models significantly underestimated oil and US natural gas supply at the end of the 20th century.

Mr. Kris Allen, P.E, PMP, is a Partner in Business Performance Group, Inc., and President of the Tidewater Chapter or Virginia Scientist and Engineers for Energy and the Environment (VA-SEEE).  He holds degrees in Nuclear Engineering (B.S.) and High Energy Physics (M.S.).  For twenty years, he held executive positions in privately- and publicly-held corporations that provided design modification , management , and information technology services to electric utilities and the Department of Energy.